Krishonnati Yojana - Sub Mission On Seed And Planting Material (SMSP)

What is the Sub Mission on Seed and Planting Material?

The Sub Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP) is a component of the Green Revolution - Krishonnati Yojana, an umbrella Centrally Sponsored Scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched in 2016-17. SMSP is the seed-sector arm of that umbrella scheme: it works to strengthen every link in India's seed chain; from breeder and foundation seed, through certification and testing, to the certified seed that finally reaches a farmer's field.

According to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, SMSP is built around roughly 18 components and focuses on increasing the production of certified/quality seed, improving the Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) across crops such as paddy, gram and cotton, upgrading farm-saved seed quality, and modernising seed infrastructure in the public sector. Better seed is one of the cheapest ways to raise farm yields, which is why the seed chain has its own dedicated sub-mission.

Key features

• A component of the Krishonnati Yojana umbrella under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• Implemented by State Governments and their seed agencies.
• Combines farmer-level support (Seed Village Programme) with institutional support (labs, certification, seed corporations).
• Aims to raise the Seed Replacement Rate and the supply of quality seed.

What does SMSP cover?

SMSP's components span the whole seed system. The main ones include:

• Seed Village Programme; organising farmers in a village to produce quality seed for their own use and local exchange, with support for foundation/certified seed and training.
• Strengthening of seed quality control, modern seed testing laboratories, grow-out test facilities and greenhouses, DNA fingerprinting for varietal purity, and specialised seed health testing.
• Support to seed certification agencies: helping State Seed Certification Agencies meet standards.
• Seed processing, storage and infrastructure; modernising the seed multiplication chain in the public sector.
• Transport subsidy on the movement of seed to difficult and remote areas.
• Promotion of new technologies in seed production, processing and testing, and public-private partnership in the seed sector.

Together these components are meant to ensure that farmers across the country have timely access to certified, good-quality seed of improved varieties.

Who is eligible for SMSP?

SMSP is a mix of farmer-facing and institution-facing components, so "eligibility" depends on the component.

Who can benefit / apply:

• Small and marginal farmers can benefit from farmer-level components such as the Seed Village Programme, applied for through the District Agriculture Office.
• State seed corporations, seed certification agencies, seed testing laboratories and seed producers are the beneficiaries of the institutional components, funded through state annual action plans.

Who cannot apply for a personal cash benefit:

• An individual cannot apply online for a personal seed subsidy the way a farmer applies to an income-support scheme. Most SMSP money flows to seed agencies and state institutions, not as direct cash to individuals.
• Components such as laboratory strengthening, certification support and transport subsidy are institutional; a farmer cannot claim these directly.

In short, a farmer's realistic route into SMSP is through the Seed Village Programme and quality-seed supply organised by the state agriculture department — not a standalone personal grant.

What documents are required?

How to apply for SMSP benefits

1. Identify the component relevant to you, for most farmers this is the Seed Village Programme or purchase of certified seed at a subsidised rate.
2. Visit your District Agriculture Office or the State Seed Corporation and ask about the current year's SMSP/Seed Village activities in your area.
3. Submit your details and documents; land record (B1/khasra), Aadhaar and bank passbook: to enrol in a seed village or to receive assistance.
4. Institutional applicants (seed corporations, certification agencies, testing labs) are covered through the state annual action plan approved under the scheme, not by individual application.

Where to get help

SMSP is delivered through the State Agriculture Departments and their seed agencies, with the national seed portal seednet.gov.in maintained by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare acting as the reference point for seed availability, certification and variety information. Farmers should contact their District Agriculture Officer or State Seed Corporation for the seed village programme and quality-seed supply in their district.

Because SMSP is largely an infrastructure- and institution-building sub-mission, its biggest benefit to an ordinary farmer is cheaper, better certified seed and a local seed village; not a direct cash transfer.